A Random Act of Kindness
by Setalina Muro
Summary: Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright from Pegasus. So, Pegasus makes a deal. Seto can have his papers if he helps someone. But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind... PxS Opticshipping
1. Prelude

**A Random Act of Kindness**

**By:**

**Setalina Muro**

**Summary:** Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright for Duel Monsters from Pegasus so he can launch one final project. Finding this all too entertaining, Pegasus makes a deal. "Find someone in desperate need. But you have to find them, approach them, and sincerely offer them your help. And I want to watch this. If I approve their need, and they accept the help, I will give them three million dollars, and you will have your plans." But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind… SxP

**Short Summary: **Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright from Pegasus. Pegasus makes a deal. Seto can have his papers if he helps someone. But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind... PxS Opticshipping

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any places, people and/or other things you are familiar with from the show or anything else. The initial idea of OpticShipping came to me through Yamiko Yakou (now Imperfect Paradise) I don't have a problem writing PegasusxShizuka and if you have a problem, don't read it! This plot, however, is mine.

**A/N: **Welcome back to a pairing I have grown fond of. Opticshipping! (Looks at the silent people who obviously don't care.)Heh heh. Okay, well, I find myself drifting back to this after several failed attempts at it (save for _Constrained_ and the more than in progress, yet severely blocked, _Unbound_). Sadly, I find my other Opticshipping story heading for the trash, at least for the time being.

But on a happier note, this is coming to me, slowly, as much does, but surely. I hope you enjoy.

_**Happy New Year, dearies!**_

**Notes on the Story:**

Pegasus's POV this chapter.

* * *

**Prelude

* * *

**

There's a difference between magic and technology. There's a difference between artificial love and that which you really feel. If I'd have known that before, things might have turned out differently…

Where I sit now is a grand mansion, if you will. Keenly decorated to my exact, and dare I admit, peculiar tastes. There is a balcony, wide and long, looking out over a beautiful sunlit beach and lapping waters. People run there, almost tiny dots to me as I sit here, overlooking their frolic. I'm trying to capture something from them, sitting here…there is something they have that I want; that I have always wanted…

Ah, yes. There it is. Happiness. That is a spark I have not had for many, many years. Not since the death of a lost love. My Cyndia.

Here is where I play the fool. Looking back on my previous exploits, I feel deep shame in them. What was I to accomplish? Now, I doubt that I could have brought her back, even if I had succeeded in my plan.

"Mr. Crawford?"

I turn at the voice, noticing my secretary (it's more accurate to say that Crocketts is a secretary then to say he's my body guard any more.) standing in the doorway. He's not what I would call a tall man. I am a tall man, but he's old. And here I sit, at a miserable thirty-two.

"What is it, Crocketts?" I ask softly.

I think he pities me. I dislike pity, just so you know. I despise watching people pity me. Little Yuugi-boy pitied me. I daresay the Spirit that protected him pitied me. And I'll be damned to admit it, but I spent a long time pitying myself.

"There's a phone call, sir," he says.

I blink, taking into account how silly his square mustache looks when he talks. This draws an out of place laugh from my throat. "I'll take it out here," I reply, and he hands me the phone, casting me an odd look from behind his mirrored sunglasses. I shoo him away with a sweep of my hand and focus on the phone. "Hello, Pegasus Crawford speaking."

"**Are you going to make a deal with me yet, Pegasus?"**

I hear the cruel, cold voice and I smile. Perfect timing, even I had to admit it. Just dipping into my memories again and along comes one of the few people who honestly hate me. I don't know why this seems to cheer me up. Perhaps it's because he doesn't pity me like all the others. He just plain hates me. Simple as that.

"Greetings, Kaiba-boy!" I say, all too enthused and I know he hates it when I get so peppy. "I'm so thrilled to hear from you! You never visit anymore! It makes me very sad, Kaiba-boy." I pout into the phone.

"**I don't care,"** he replies bluntly. I smile. Even hundreds of miles cannot mask his disgust.

Oh, how Kaiba-like that is. Ah, I feel myself needing to explain. Seto Kaiba is an associate of mine from Domino, Japan, where he runs the all too infamous company of Kaiba Corporations, the main proprietor of dueling systems. For about a year and a half now, Mr. Kaiba has been attempting to get me to write over certain rights to a game I created nearly a decade ago. You see, I am Pegasus Crawford, creator of the Duel Monsters, a game many people know and love.

Years ago, not long after Cyndia's death, there came to me a rumor of ancient magic that could bring the dead back to life. Using money coming down to me through my father, I traveled far and wide, searching for a cure to this more than permanent infirmity. This brought me to Egypt, where I discovered a strange man. He gave to me the SenNen Eye, an object I used to create my monsters, drawing images from stone carvings of a shadow game played by the Ancient Egyptians. (I knew little of this actual world, and I still know little, though I am not entirely heartbroken because of this fact.)

Soon, I released my game to the world, watching people violently and passionately collect the cards. None, in fact, knew of their origins, but the game was consumed by the masses. I was only too pleased with this, for I had alternate motives for crafting it. In Egypt, I was amazed to discover a magic that could raise the dead, but to do this I must collect seven magical items. I began a tournament to gather these, but failed miserably in the end, my selfish intentions bringing a shadow over my heart, inevitably leading to my downfall. Soon after, my Eye was stolen from me.

I'll tell you right now, I should have died from the grievous wound handed to me by the possessed youth named Ryou Bakura, but fate would not allow it and I lived in much pain and slight insanity. It has dwindled now on both accounts and the pain is almost completely gone. I am sad to admit, however, I have no left eye, but I am glad for the absence of the golden Egyptian one, though it leaves the left side of my face horribly disfigured.

Now, Seto Kaiba has been seeking for me to allow him to create several prototype microchips that would allow for the generation of holographic Duel Monsters cards. He insists that this will be a large hit with the many fans of my game, and frankly, I agree, but he's a fun person to toy with, and my game's popularity has not faded one bit, but it has seemed to increase over the years with the masses of people wishing to take the title of 'King of Games'. I figure I have my time to mess with his head and to release several more decks before I give into his demands.

"**Pegasus,"** he growls.

"Oh! Yes, Kaiba-boy, what was it you were calling for?" I ask happily. I sometimes wonder how I keep up this pleasant facade.

"**You know very well what I want. It's only the same thing I've been asking for nearly two years now."**

He sounds very bitter.

"Oh, Kaiba-boy!" I coo. "I apologize! I keep sitting down to think on it, but every time without fail, my show comes on! So sorry."

I can almost see him stiffen with the anger portrayed in his voice. **"How many times do you have to watch the same forty episodes of that stupid cartoon?"** he spits.

I ponder that for a moment. I have to say that he's right on that account. I'm still rather fond of cartoons. A sad weakness of mine, but what is the point of life if you can't enjoy a childish animation or picture book every once in a while? Where's the joy if you can't fall off a chair laughing every time you see a pink bunny drop an anvil on his unsuspecting nemesis's head? And one tends to forget such things if they are not frequently refreshed in the brain.

"Funny," I murmur. "I thought there were at _least_ forty-one episodes!" I say this just to aggravate him. There _are_ only forty episodes.

"**Isn't there _anything_ I could offer you that would convince you to give me those copyrights?"**

I almost feel bad. He sounds so desperate. "Hmmm….."

I lean back in the chair considering this. I don't want money. I have fame. At the moment, I don't feel like humiliating dear Kaiba-boy. Then it hits me, like one of those anvils.

"I have a proposition for you, Kaiba," I say.

I hear shock in the silence. **"You do?"** He pauses, collecting his wits. **"You do?"** he repeats, almost like he doubts my sincerity. **"What is it?"** he says almost dryly, in his business tone. **"And it had better not be anything stupid, Pegasus, or you can forget it."**

"I want you…" I say slowly. "To find someone for me."

"**Okay…"**

"This person must be…in need. Loosing something they can't live without. Not a house, no, or any other form of property. Something emotionally crippling. Something really important to them. A loved one. A sister, brother, parent, something of the sort. Some one suffering from a disability."

"**Alright…what's the catch?"** Ah, always looking for alternate motives.

"You must find the person yourself, and I want you to sincerely offer them your aid. When you do, I want to see it. If they accept your help, you're set. I will give them somewhere from half a million dollars to three million American dollars. Then you can have your contract."

"**Wait…you want me to _help_ someone?"** He sounds so confused.

"Yes…" I say thoughtfully. "That's exactly what I want you to do."

"**Done,"** he says before I can utter another word. I suppose he found this too good to be true. Even I have to wonder at this.

_What in the world are you thinking, Pegasus…what are you hoping to accomplish with this?_

I can only ask myself the question. The deal is made. I softly remind Kaiba that he has to find the person himself, and then I hang up. Slowly, I set the phone down on the railing. I gaze out over the beach.

"What are you planning?" I whisper to no one in particular, because of course, there's no one there. The golden sun bids the shore farewell with splendid colors, mauve, crimson, tangerine, reflecting off the turquoise water. I feel an unfamiliar confusion.

"What's the point?" I say, speaking out loud again. I lean my head down on the railing, staring into the blazing sun. "What is the point of a random act of kindness?"

* * *

**To Be Continued…

* * *

**

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed the beginning! I believe that the story will find itself in a constant first person POV (which will be a first for me), but we'll see. **Please R&R**. (I thrive on reviews in my miserable life, trust me.) Again, have a Happy New Year!

Lina


	2. Chapter 1

**A Random Act of Kindness**

**By:**

**Setalina Muro**

**Summary:** Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright for Duel Monsters from Pegasus so he can launch one final project. Finding this all too entertaining, Pegasus makes a deal. "Find someone in desperate need. But you have to find them, approach them, and sincerely offer them your help. And I want to watch this. If I approve their need, and they accept the help, I will give them three million dollars, and you will have your plans." But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind… SxP

**Short Summary: **Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright from Pegasus. Pegasus makes a deal. Seto can have his papers if he helps someone. But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind... PxS Opticshipping

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any places, people and/or other things you are familiar with from the show or anything else. The initial idea of OpticShipping came to me through Yamiko Yakou (now Imperfect Paradise) I don't have a problem writing PegasusxShizuka and if you have a problem, don't read it! This plot, however, is mine.

**A/N: **I took a mental health day. And honestly, I needed it more last week then I needed it today, but still. Okay, so you probably shouldn't even be getting this update. And I know it's been over four months since I first posted this, but that's not the reason. The reason being I have seven million reports due (okay, like four, but that's not the point) within the next two weeks, and I'm giving up sleep to get them done. So, last night, I'm working on the history report and its about 1:30 and I damn near fell asleep at the very uncomfortable computer desk trying to get it done. (I didn't which is what leads to my mental health). But we're good now, which is why you lucky devils do in fact get this.

**Notes on the Story:**

The pairing in this story has been changed from the previous Optic/Silent- Triangle to a good-ol' straight Opticshipping. No pairing connection to Kaiba what so ever.

Ah, at the end of the first part of the chapter, Pegasus slips a bit OOC, in my opinion. I apologize for this, but I tried to make it semi-plausible. Forgive me.

* * *

**Chapter One

* * *

**

Sometimes I wish I had another train of thought. I wish I had someway to alter the things running through my mind. They torment me. The drive me to that brink I've dangled from so dangerously for so long.

Atop the coral sheets of my bed I sit, staring out into the blank night. Perhaps it's not so blank. There are stars, glittering shining stars out there. I feel a cool breeze from the open windows drift past It's a lovely night off the coast of a lovely beach. Everything's so lovely. Then why do I feel so ugly? I feel like a monster. I feel lost.

I miss Cyndia…

I bury my face into my hands. Ever since the final day of my servitude to the Sennen Eye, my nights have been tormented. Perhaps there was a power in the item that kept my shadows at bay, shadows that would eat at my heart and destroy me. There had to have been some kind of miracle to the dark powers in the object that kept me from reliving it all.

But now that's gone. It's all gone, and I no longer have such a thing to protect me.

Dreams comes to me often, as they did before, but now they are a frequented by a deep abyss in which fields of blood red roses spread out like death itself, petals blowing away like sand in the wind. Blinking against the onslaught against the starless black of sky, I stumble forward, a voice calling to me desperately, pleading, really, in hopes that I will come and rescue them. The voice is female, delicate, yet firm. I'm sure that if she tries hard enough, she can rescue herself, but it never works out that way.

And I get there too late.

What remains is a body, tattered and worn. The flesh, once a delicate pink, torn and bleeding; a once beautiful face wreathes in pain. Blue eyes stare up at me, a mouth shudders for breath as the chest slowly rises beneath a sheath of blue fabric, a pink bow torn to shreds atop it; burnt white lace and golden hair. I wrap an arm around the ragged being, gently lifting it, no, her, to gaze into the tear-rimmed eyes of my once beloved…one hand, mangled beyond recognition, but with a touch I can never forget, brushes past my face. Her voice rings gently through the air.

"_I knew…"_ she coughs. _"I…I knew you'd come. I knew you'd save me from this…Pegasus…"_

I can only shake my head. _"I failed, Cyndia,"_ I whisper back. The tears begin to prick at my remaining eye. _"I failed and I have nothing left to give for you…I only…Cyndia, know that I lo-"_

But here she fades into dust, smiling softly words on her lips, her body blowing out of my hands into the wind. I fall to my knees, and there the dream ends, leaving me clutching what little ash of her remained and she, fleeing to a light with a broken trust and what I can only assume is a broken heart that matches my own… **(Au1)**

There were so little times in which I said those words to her. And it was never enough. Even as her spirit fled, they hesitated to pass my lips. I regret that more than anything, the fact that I rarely told her I loved her, even though she had always meant more to me than anything. _I hadn't said it._ And now, it was too late to do anything about it.

I take leave of my bed, the night air cool against my legs and bare chest, moving out the door to the balcony I've become very enamored during the past three months. I sigh, making myself comfortable in the lounge chair positioned on the deck. I lay my hands across my stomach, gazing up into the sky at the stars glittering above. They say if one looks hard enough, they can find their destiny written there, but all I see is a jumble of galaxies and words; tiny suns with their own orbiting planets. Light from those planets, suns, takes hundreds, even thousands of years to reach the earth. It will be years before we know if a star dies. Yet the single great light of my life vanished in an instant. I knew the light faded, but it's still striking me, because…it was there…

Blinking away the bizarre thoughts, I sit up. It's not my style to dwell on these dreams. They've been occurring for years, but something about this particular dream disturbs me. There is something that feels…changed. I cross my legs, sitting up in what has been 'Indian style' (if I remember correctly from childhood games), my arms still folded over my chest. Thinking back on the dream, I try desperately to discern what the difference was.

Not the roses, the cry, nor even the sight of my beloved torn was out of the ordinary. Our speech matched anything previous; the gestures were all the same… what had it been?

A phone rings, cutting my thoughts like a knife. My head darts from its resting position, no longer bent forward, eyes closed. I glare at the silver phone by the chair accusingly, as if it interrupted my thoughts and not the caller, so hell-bent upon speaking to me at four in the morning.

"Have you any clue as to what time it is!" I hiss into the phone.

"Hello, Pegasus," the voice through the receiver says, and in my dream-bound haze I fail to recognize the voice until the next statement. It's ruthless and coldly triumphant. "Pegasus, I've found her."

I rise slowly from my seat. "Kaiba?" I ask to reassure myself. After three months, I had merely figured he had decided against our deal and had gone back to focusing on his work to call me again in six months and ask for another offer. "Who?" I whisper breathlessly. "Who is she?"

"Come to Domino and see," he taunts. "Bring those papers and her ailment and treatment rest on you." The phone clicks.

"Kaiba?" I say. "Kaiba, who is she? Give a name, age, something!"

A dial tone rings back at me and I drop the phone, darting through the house with a sudden rush of adrenaline. My heart pounds loudly in my chest.

"Crocketts!" I yell, moving toward his secluded room. "Crocketts!" it opens as I pound on it and Crocketts, black sunglasses in place even with the long white shirt that serves as his sleeping garment, stands there, his eyebrows arched. "What do you need, Mr. Crawford?" he asks, somehow hinting at my mental stability with his tone.

I must admit, I don't blame him at all. My pristine platinum silver hair is splayed at several strange angles, my reaming eye wide. Sweat beads at my forehead. I stand in front of him in blue striped boxers, and right now, I feel as if the marred skin of my left eye is visible.

I collect myself in an instant, but his gaze remains questioning. "Pardon the interruption, Crocketts," I say matter-of-factly, dusting off my boxers nonchalantly. "But I need the plane prepared for an immediate flight to Japan."

He bows slight. "Yes, Mr. Crawford."

"Very good." I turn to make my way back down the hallway, watching its large bay window at the end. A faint light begins to shine through them and I gasp, hurrying closer. "Could it be?" I whisper, my fingers caressing the clear glass.

Crocketts is behind me. "Are you alright, sir?" he asks.

"It's the sunrise…"

"Yes…" he replies slowly.

A strange feeling begins to well up inside of me; an unfamiliar prick touches my eye. My breathing narrows suddenly and I see it…

"_I failed, Cyndia," I whisper back. The tears begin to prick at my remaining eye. "I failed and I have nothing left to give for you…I only…Cyndia, know that I lo-"_

_She fades into dust, sweeping away into the wind, winding into the sky…that black, black sky…_

"It's not black anymore. It's…the end to a long dark night," I say. I feel a tingle on my face, and one hand goes up cautiously to touch my cheek. It's wet.

_Tears…_

"All the roses are turning silver…the endless black sky, its turning pink and…" another tear slips down my cheek. I remember blankly that I have not cried since the night of Cyndia's death. And now… "And…there is a horizon…"

Silence follows my proclamation and the sun continues to rise, glimmering off my tears. And after a moment, I turn away.

"Crocketts, let's go."

* * *

A trip to Domino from San Francisco is a lengthy one. Many miles separate the two places and a direct flight to the smaller business district is difficult to find, seeing as most flights must stop in Tokyo first. 

The flight seems to be longer when one is impatiently awaiting some sort of miracle…

My fingers tap persistently on the armrest of my chair as the small private airplane I ride in taxies into the airport. Everything is running far too slow for my taste, and I am quickly losing my patience for it.

The entire trip, during the long hours we flew over the Pacific Ocean, I did not sleep (which is odd for me. Plane rides and long distance car rides tend to make me ill. Sleep is one of the few remedies). I sat tersely in my seat as I do now.

Sighing effeminately, I reach into the pocket of my suit to extract a watch portraying the oh-so-lovable Happy Bunny, his pink paws pointing to the time. Returning it to its proper place, I glance down at myself.

The suit I'm wearing is sadly not the trademark red I most frequently appear in (though it is as much associated to me as trench coats are to dear Kaiba-boy). Instead, I sport a pair of pinstriped brown pants and a butter-cream colored shirt. A likewise chocolate colored coat is slung onto the chair next to me, a brown hat sitting atop it.

Smiling softly, I reach for the hat and take it between my hands, fingering the brim. This hat had been one of my father's own, and one of the few kind gestures he had extended toward me. He gave it to me when I was fourteen, on the day before I fell completely in love with Cyndia. After she had passed, I had taken this hat and traveled to Egypt, where I received the Sennen Eye It is, to me, a symbol of new beginnings, and every time I put it on, something in my life changes drastically, and I had been prompted to bring it here today.

Finally, the plane jolts to a stop, and I stand quickly, throwing the jacket over my arm, grabbing a small suitcase from an overhead compartment, and racing down the aisle of the plane. The door opens as I step out.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Crawford," a man at my elbow yells over the dull roar of the engines as I dismount the steps. I move past him quickly, murmuring some reply as I push the hat roughly onto my head and sprint away from the plane, across the runaway lot toward an open door leading into the Domino Airport.

The airport is busting with people. It's a smaller port than most, but constantly busy nonetheless. As I move through the crowd, I pull the brim of my hat lower, pushing past another group among the chattering mass. As it is, I am attempting to avoid detection, because, of course, it will not be long until the telltale silver hair begins to attract attention. Already whispers are forming behind me as I force my way toward a blaring green exit sign.

Suddenly, a hand catches my arm and I am jarred to a stop.

"Hey!" I exclaim indignantly. "What's the big idea?"

"Shut up," a familiar voice growls lowly. "You're causing a scene."

I blink and raise the brim of my hat to peer at the man speaking to me. He slowly slides the black sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, exposing distinctly cold blue eyes. The harsh glare sends an instant shiver down my spine.

"Kaiba?" I hiss. "What in the world?"

"Shut up," he orders again. "Be quiet, be calm, and follow me." He pushes the glasses back into position and strides off to the left of my intended destination. After a moment of hesitation, I fall into pace behind him as he winds through the people without drawing any attention, and a moment later, we're out the door.

"Buffoon," he scoffs as I follow him toward a thin black limo emblazoned on the side with the Kaiba Corporation's insignia. "Completely idiotic…Bumbling through a crowd like a drunkard…"

He ducks into the car as his driver opens the door, still hissing bitterly at my actions. I don't follow immediately. Instead, I peer around the parking lot for a moment, my eyes scanning for my own servant.

"What are you waiting for?" Kaiba snaps.

"A handwritten invitation, of course," I reply sarcastically, spotting Crocketts on his way across the lot toward me. Behind me, Kaiba grumbles to himself, failing to cloak his anger.

"Alright," I say, entering the vehicle as Crocketts reaches it. "The girl?"

He raises a brow. "The contract?" The door is shut behind me and the car begins to move.

I gently touch the briefcase at my side. "Safely put away until the proper time." I cast him my own curious glance. "Have we a standstill for the time being, Kaiba-boy?"

"No," he growls, one eyes twitching slightly. "We're going to meet her now." He picks up a yellowed file folder at his side and dangles it in front of my face. "At a mall downtown. She'll be with a member of her family." A smile touches his lips and he chuckles softly.

"Why is that," I say, my eye following the folder as it swings back and forth between his fingers. "She's not a minor, is she?"

"I don't know," he replies smoothly. "But the file says everything."

"Give it to me then."

"No."

I blink. "Kaiba-boy, that is hardly a proper way to conduct business."

"You get nothing unless I get your word that you will be content and sign the contract," he hisses, suddenly vehement. "I have been waiting too long for this."

"And why would looking at the file make me change my mind, hmmm?" I ask, eyeing him dubiously. "What exactly have you done, Kaiba-boy?"

"The girl," he says, throwing the folder my way. I catch it and open it, scanning the contents. "Twenty-two years old," he continues. "Typical profile."

"Condition?"

"She's…eh…" some unintelligible mutter comes from him, and for the first time, he looks slightly uncomfortable. "She's…blind…"

I look up at him utterly perplexed. "Blindness? Kaiba, why in the world…"

He cuts me off by suddenly exploding into a maniacal laughter. I start back, blinking at him. His arms latch around his stomach and he rolls back on the seat. The moments pass and I stare at him until he regains control and sits up.

"Blindness," he says maniacally. "Think about the irony of it all, Pegasus. You, half blind due to a psychotic incident with a golden eye that _you_ thought gave you mystic, mind-reading powers? And the beautiful creature you were married to…"

I stiffen slightly, glowering at him.

"_Cyndia_," he taunts. "Yes, she was charming, wasn't she? This girl is quite lovely. A beauty for a beauty, eh, Pegasus? There are pictures in there, look." He laughs again. "And her name even, Cyndia. A poorer translation can change her from that, to a Cecilia." He grins sadistically. "And Pegasus, you know what Cecilia means in Latin, don't you?"

I merely stare at him, aghast that he should put so much thought into such a simple matter; so much…malice. "You never fail to amaze me, Kaiba-boy," I say, shaking my head. It stings, these thoughts. They truly do, but I won't let Kaiba know that.

As the car pulls to a stop, he sits triumphantly, smirking. "And there's one more surprise for you, Pegasus," he stats, examining his fingernails smugly.

I raise an eyebrow, refusing to reply save to dryly say, "Oh, really? That's lovely, Kaiba-boy." I refuse to play Kaiba's game, but what does it matter now anyway? Whoever this girl is, blindness and all, I'm going to see her for myself. My stomach twinges uncomfortably at the thought. "And what would it be?"

"You'll see," he replies curtly, climbing out as the driver props open the door. I follow persistently, but say no more to him. Before us lay a grand mall, three stories high and packed, I'm sure, with people. There is no hesitation in his step as he goes forward, ignoring a mother pulling her small child out of his way. I nod at her apologetically and am after Kaiba.

Through a set of slide glass doors standing next to a rotating glass one, we moved into the mall. Instantly, the smells of the food court blare at me from the left. People are talking and children are screaming at a nearby fountain. I pause looking around. I don't come to public places very often and this in particular seems insanely crowded a a nd loud. I look around one more time until I notice something.

I've lost Kaiba…

I curse softly beneath my breath, attempting to gaze over the people to find him to no avail.

Blinking several times, I center myself. Now, I am an adult from America lost from his semi-twisted business associate in a mall in Japan. No problem, right? I just go the nearest comic store and Kaiba will find me, right away (hopefully before I knock off my entire fortune on useless Japanese manga that I can hardly decipher at any rate). The very thought makes me both laugh and cringe at the same time, and I decide in the end that the food court (despite the large concoction of smells) is a grand place for a meeting, and no doubt an anxious Kaiba will arrive there eventually. **(Au2)**

The noxious smells come first from my left, so that, I figure, is the path leading to my intended destination. At the top of the moving staircase, I spy a directory and looking at it upon closer inspection I see the 'You are Here' sticker (in Japanese with English footnotes) as well as the Food Court.

I ride another escalator and reach a point where the strong smells hang like sickening haze in the air. I've never had much of a stomach for oriental food, so this place strikes me as some sort of torture chamber, but I continue forward anyway, coughing only slightly.

Looking around, it strikes me as odd that there are few people here (I suppose they are all at home eating something wholesome). A quick glance produces no evidence of Kaiba, so I take a seat, crossing my arms over my chest and sighing. I suppose this will be a long wait, and I close my eyes for a moment, the need for rest overwhelming me.

Somewhere around me, laughter falls, tinkling like a bell. I smile in spite of myself. Such a beautiful sound, one I have rarely heard since Cyndia, much less one with such innocence intoned. It is answered by an almost animal-like grunt of a reply.

I open my eye as the chime like voice replies sharply and my breath hitches in my chest, a thought striking me. Her auburn hair drapes around her like fire; dull, honey-brown eyes glimmer with mock rage; and her delicate mouth is curved gently. I stare, my eye locked on her, watching as she reaches out touching each chair once in a strange jumpy manner. Her steps were careful, but hardly hesitant, and it seemed that a small folded white pole protrudes from her back pocket, despite that she seems determined not to use it.

"That's her," a voice above me says.

I look up to see Kaiba standing over me, hands coolly in his pockets. He is smiling fondly, his eyes narrowed into a cold, victorious glare. "And there you have it Pegasus," he murmurs. "Checkmate."

"Why checkmate, Kaiba?" I ask, looking at him.

"Because, Pegasus. Notice her companion. He is her brother."

I look back and my heart constricts, for standing with the young girl that Kaiba has chosen to aid is someone who can probably hate me more than almost anyone one else.

Jounouchi Katsuya…

* * *

**A/N:** Wow. I am aware that that took quick a while, but this is, for me, a very long chapter. And kinda pointless I think, but, heh. (okay, not really , but still...) Anyway, nine pages, dearies.** Please R&R.**

Lina

**Au 1:** An insanely dark dream sequence (though it could have been worse, i'm sure) but not something i typically do either way. (shrugs)

**Au 2: **Yes, before we continue, an Americanized Japanese mall. Deal with it. (sigh)


	3. Chapter 2

**A Random Act of Kindness**

**By:**

**Setalina Muro**

**Summary:** Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright for Duel Monsters from Pegasus so he can launch one final project. Finding this all too entertaining, Pegasus makes a deal. "Find someone in desperate need. But you have to find them, approach them, and sincerely offer them your help. And I want to watch this. If I approve their need, and they accept the help, I will give them three million dollars, and you will have your plans." But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind… SxP

**Short Summary: **Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright from Pegasus. Pegasus makes a deal. Seto can have his papers if he helps someone. But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind... PxS Opticshipping

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any places, people and/or other things you are familiar with from the show or anything else. The initial idea of OpticShipping came to me through Yamiko Yakou (now Imperfect Paradise) I don't have a problem writing PegasusxShizuka and if you have a problem, don't read it! This plot, however, is mine.

**A/N: **SO I finally started working on this when I finished my yaoi one-shot (a test fiction that has prospered. I am much pleased with it. It makes me feel like an incredibly well-rounded author now. ANYWAY). I started to focus on this and two others (they're ALL Opticshipping, which is particularly funny to me because around this time two years ago, this paring terrified and startled me, and now its basically my favorite and I'm basically the only one that writes it with a few exceptions XD) and SCORE. I finally got a hold of a Japanese dictionary for this (make certain you look at the note below). Anyway, I'm borrowing it from a friend of mine (I _might_ buy my own when my choir goes to San Francisco, but I'm not sure what good it'll do me outside fanfiction. Lol) and I worked studiously on this for several weeks to get it finished. I'm scribbling down notes for later chapters etc. anyway.

**Notes on the Story:**

There's quite a bit of Japanese in this (Thank _God_ for Japanese to English dictionaries. XD) But don't worry about what it says (unless you're completely OCD, then worry very much) because I don't feel like putting a translation in and anything important will be translated by Kaiba, spoken in English, or vaguely understood by Pegasus himself.

**EDIT (2/24/07): ****A translation guide was added because I was _asked_ to insert one. **

Still 1st person POV. Pegasus J. Crawford.

* * *

**Chapter Two

* * *

**

Jounouchi Katsuya…

Never had my mind welled with greater terror and a greater flood of conscience then it did in that moment. Seeing him now, I hardly know what to do. I feel guilty, sad, but more than any of that, angry suddenly that I had been tricked in this manner.

"Kaiba, you are the most twisted son of a bit-"

"You'll do well to leave your American insults in the States, Pegasus," he says in reply, smirking as he coolly brushes back a collection of chestnut locks. "And now if you'll collect yourself, we have a deal to cut." He begins to stride off.

Silently, I will my heart to keep pace and my anger to recede. I watch Kaiba's retreating form and feel my fingers curl slowly against my palm into a fist, which I promptly smack forcefully against the table, the sound reverberating dully.

_Damn him…_

The pair in question has settled around the bend of the court and their voices, cutting back and forth in fluent Japanese, carry back to me.

"Pegasus," Kaiba hissed from some distance away, attempting to force me back on task. But I know it is no use. I feel very ill suddenly.

Jounouchi…when was the last time I had come across him…it would have been Duelist Kingdom. Was it a lifetime ago? No, only eight years if memory served. My tournament had been a tormenting time for many people (many others than myself). The Kaiba brothers (young Mokuba almost certainly) and Yugi Mouto and his aged grandfather. What Jounouchi gained from my tournament, what they all did in the end, Mazaki, Hiroto, Bakura, was more of a real-life nightmare, one of the first I was certain they would have to endure as they grew older. Watching their friend interact in a cursed game. What kind of monster did they see me as?

I shudder as Kaiba calls my name again. Had Jounouchi-boy been given anything for his troubles? I couldn't quite remember, and it bothered me greatly.

"Pegasus! Get your ass over here _now_!"

Rising from the round plastic seat, I begin to follow him, somewhat hesitantly, in what I assume will be an agonizingly slow pace to him as I attempt to collect my startled self. We round the tables and there they are.

She instantly raises to her feet, bowing her head, her voice issuing forth a greeting in her native tongue.

"Konichiwa, Kaiba-san, Crawford-san. Arigato no tameni kuru." **(Au1)**

All I can do is nod back as Kaiba thanks her for accepting our invitation.

"Mochiron," she says before gesturing at the vacant seats beside her. "Suwattekudasai."

Beside her, Jounouchi sits forward, angrily barking at her. "Shizuka-chan, naze karera koku de?"

Kaiba snickers beside me, leaning over to whisper a translation into my ear. "He's asking why we're here." He turns to Jounouchi, smirking. "Damare, Make-Inu."

Jounouchi tenses, darting up from his seat to scream at Kaiba. Shizuka raises her hand and touches Jounouchi's shoulder while giving Kaiba a cold look. "Watshi shotai suru karera o, Onii-chan. Onegai shimasu desu heion."

The thought suddenly strikes me of how poor my Japanese has become. I cannot say I was skilled fore in the language, but now, I don't believe I could hold a conversation in it any longer.

"Onore," Jounouchi hisses and, fuming, settles back into his seat.

A small smile crosses my face. Now _that_ word I know.

"Mr. Crawford?"

I glance up, slightly surprised as I meet her gaze. It is strange to hear my name on her lips; stranger still to receive the sweet smile that graces her face, directed specifically at me. I feel a strange heat rise in my chest as my breath hitches.

"Please sit," she says. "Would you prefer us to speak in English?"

"It would be most appreciated," I reply, a gentle smile spreading across my face. I bow deeply to her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear."

I take a calming breath as we settle into our seats, finding it difficult to clear my mind as I normally would before a business transaction such as his. I turn to Jounouchi to get a chance to alter my gaze away from her.

"Greetings, Jounouchi-boy," I say, smiling. "You look well."

He fails to respond, merely glaring angrily at me instead, chocolate orbs narrowed in disgust.

A minute later, Kaiba clears his throat. To my vague amusement, Shizuka starts, turning to him and collecting herself. Only moments ago she seemed to have been studying me intently. I smile softly toward her and then focus on Kaiba.

He had fallen into the guise of a businessman, short, demanding, and to the point. "Our proposition has been made known to you, Ms. Kawai," he is saying, lacing his fingers and sitting forward slightly to rest on his elbows. "Pegasus has offered to pay for you to have a secondary operation, seeing as how your first one failed."

She nods. "I remember your offer, Kaiba-san. But I would like to ask a question."

He arches an eyebrow at her. "Yes?"

It is not to Kaiba she plans to direct her query. Her gaze shifts to me and I force down a shudder as I meet her steady, yet clouded eyes.

"Why are you doing this?"

I feel Kaiba's sudden aggravation as he finds himself shut out of the conversation. It is not a question he can answer. I don't even know if _I_ can answer it. He glares at me dangerously and I feel the threatening gaze on my neck.

Questions such as these are deal breakers depending on how they are answered. A girl like Shizuka…an elegant creature dependant upon the sound of a person's voice…she would know if I were to lie.

And it wouldn't be right.

"Well…it comes about like this, Shizuka," I say, picking up the lost threads of the conversation. "Kaiba-boy here wants copyrights from Industrial Illusions; copyrights I only agreed to give him if, and only if, he offered help to a person in need. It could have been anyone, honestly. But out of malice toward me, he chose to help a little blind girl whose brother could never hate me more then he does. Young Kaiba chose _you._"

She starts back, her brow constricting in confusion as she stares at me.

"Pegasus!" Kaiba hisses, his fists clenching.

"There's really not any reason to worry. If you want my reasoning for such a challenge, I can give you none. I don't entirely know myself." I smile. "But I assure you everything will be in order and you will have the best care."

I have never seen Kaiba as incensed as he is now, or as in control of his abominable temper. "What Pegasus means," he starts, as if attempting to correct a grievous error. "Is-"

"Exactly what I said," I interrupt smoothly. I take up Shizuka's puzzled gaze again. "I will tell you no lies, my dear."

Honey-colored eyes look between us, calmly, contemplatively. She bites softly at her lower lip before looking at Jounouchi. His gaze remains coldly focused on her.

"D­o omou?" he barks rudely.

Her reply is soft, a mere whisper in his direction. Barely, just barely, I am able to hear her, and even more surprising, I _understand_ what she murmurs.

"Jounouchi-chan…Watashi shinraisuru kare ni…"

I can't help the smile that slides over my face.

'_Jounouchi…I trust him…'

* * *

_

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

Had I but predicted the situation that would follow my words. It's hilarious, in one of those cosmic senses that don't seem funny at the time but in retrospect can make you unequivocally giddy.

Kaiba is _livid._ Behind cobalt eyes, a fire is smoldering.

"You might have ruined the entire deal talking that way!"

He grabs the lapels of my jacket when I refuse to stop my typical brisk pace to look at him. His fingers flex angrily and I feel him force me back into the cool metal of a car. My, what we must look like.

It seems so easy to meet blazing eyes without hesitation, allowing a small, knowing smirk to slide over my face. I grab his wrists to force his hands off me and, straightening my jacket, I push him back a bit further. As far as people go, young Kaiba has no bubble and does not hesitate to invade another's when he's in a temper.

"You are fretting over a trivial thing, Kaiba-boy," I say, waving him off and moving away from the car. Honestly, I get a bit uncomfortable when cornered, and as I walk away I tug on my collar and clear my throat.

"_Trivial_?" he explodes, briskly coming up beside me. "You could have-"

"But I didn't," I stress gently. We are fast approaching Kaiba's limo. The engine starts up as his driver recognizes us and Crocketts steps out to open the door, bowing slightly.

I stop as Kaiba crawls in and I look to my assistant. "Crocketts," I begin, my mouth open to inform him of something when I pause, casting a perplexed glance at him. "Crocketts…are you wearing a brassiere?" **(Au2)**

The older man looks away, a faint blush rising over his face as he clears his throat and attempts to stand a little straighter. "I, eh, lost a bet, sir," he murmurs.

Shaking my head, I sigh. "Ah, Crocketts, you just don't learn. Remember what happened the last time you had a bet with Kaiba's driver?"

It was quite humorous, actually. Crocketts, as a true man of honor, spent the next week in purple ponytails. Personally, I didn't think the staff would ever stop laughing.

I follow Kaiba into the back of the limo and Crocketts closes the door behind me.

"Your driver has a cruel sense of humor," I murmur.

"Yes," he shrugs. "But it wouldn't be so bad if your assistant wasn't so unlucky."

* * *

As a man of true obsession, Kaiba immediately whisks me away to Kaiba Corporation to sign his contracts in private. There would be a photo opportunity later, he says, throwing down the contract for my observation. I could have taken longer, hours even, to comb over every detail of the deal, looking for unexpected twists. As it is, the entire contract is straightforward. Kaiba would create serial numbers for the cards. These could be purchased from Industrial Illusions while Kaiba manufactured the chips, card inventory units, a more adaptable duel disk, and his newest pet project, holographic cards. It is very clear-cut with a small tidbit about split profits both ways, but that part is somewhat insignificant. 

The half-hour I spend in Kaiba Corporations passes quite slowly, far slower then I would like. It isn't that the contract bored me (in fact, the prospect of taking my game to another level was quite thrilling, almost as much as it was when Kaiba first presented me with the hologram technology that formed my beasts all those years ago) it was just that…I have another engagement for today.

With a flourish I attach my signature to the final dotted line, sighing with contentment.

Kaiba's sly fingers grab the completed contract up quickly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Finally!" he laughs gleefully, which is rather creepy when you get down to the point that it is _Kaiba_ laughing. He sets it down on his desk as he sits, collected in the familiar Kaiba manner once more, linking his fingers to observe me. "So, what will you do now, Pegasus?" he asks.

I lean back in my chair, my hands overlapping my stomach and shrug. "Return to America, I suppose."

"And the girl?"

I look to the ceiling contemplatively, feeling a small smile creep onto my face. "We'll see what the future holds. Now," I stand up, clapping my hands together. "If you will kindly return me to the airport, Kaiba-boy, I have a guest to fly across the sea."

* * *

In the blustering winds of a fanning engine, I watch her approach. She raises a slim hand to brush away long strands of stray auburn hair that blow across her angelic face. A soft smile is alighting there and her pace increases as she nears the plane. Moving up the steps, she pauses directly before me, beaming as I move aside so she can board. 

"Excited, I see."

She smiles over her shoulder at me and then a soft, beguiling laughter escapes her soft mouth.

"Pegasus-sama, I'm just so ready to see again..." she gushes.

"Well then," I say, taking her hand and escorting her to a seat. "We'll just have to give you a grand adventure after your operation, won't we?"

"Adventure…" she repeats slowly, her eyes alighting, and her soft mouth spreading into yet another sparkling smile. "I'd like that. Very much."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**

_Translation Section ( for the sake of avoiding controversy)

* * *

_

"Konichiwa, Kaiba-san, Crawford-san. Arigato no tameni kuru." -- **Good Afternoon, Mr. Kaiba, Mr. Crawford. Thank you for coming.**

"Mochiron. Suwattekudasai.." -- **Of course. Please sit**

"Shizuka-chan, naze karera koku de?" -- **Shizuka, why are they here?**

"Damare, Make-Inu." -- **Be quiet, dog loser mutt **

"Watshi shotai suru karera o, Onii-chan. Onegai shimasu desu heion." -- **I invited them, big brother, please be calm.**

"Onore,". -- **Bastard.**

"D­o omou?" -- **What do you think?**

"Jounouchi-chan…Watashi shinraisuru kare ni…" -- **Jounouchi…I trust him…

* * *

**

**Au 1: **If any of the following script is wrong, please forgive me! I don't know how to speak Japanese myself, and the dictionary I am using says nothing about sentence structure, so I'm just stringing words together. I'll run them by someone who had taken a Japanese class and I hope she can correct anything that is wrong. **(Thank you Yamiko!) Also **new translation section as of 2/24.

**Au 2: **Trust me, its better if you don't ask what the hell I was smoking when I wrote that part. Maybe I needed to humor myself for a moment considering the bleak setting I was in. or it was the crack. But I suppose the easiest thing to do would be to blame PegasusxCroquet. Yup. All her fault. Croquet in a brassiere…Setalina on crack….maybe….

* * *

**A/N: **And there you (finally) have it. I apologize for the extended delay (Good Lord, it's almost been a year) I don't like the ending. It's just kinda…blah. Anyway. I thought I'd get this up to entertain Yamiko while I write the tainted Opticshipping she requested as part of her winning entry into an Outcastshipping contest (she scared everyone else away. XD). You can look for it in a couple of weeks to a month or so. It'll super-special awesomely long and hopefully as 'tainted' as I want it be. The title is _'Blood Canvas'._

Oh, and also, if you're bored, pop over to my profile and follow the link there to the marvelous Opticshipping pic Yamiko drew. It makes me happy. She also, just _very_ recently, put up a dark Opticshipping one. Ah. The couple combined with her original and fabulous drawing skills mesmerizes me. XD

And until next time.

Lina


End file.
